We are all well aware of the staggering problem with obesity—even in children as young as 6 and 7 years old. I was chagrined to discover that a fast-food chain recently built one of their restaurants right across the street from a local high-school.
Smart marketing, but one can’t help but wonder about the long-term consequences of what is sure to be the lunch diet of 1,200 students this next school year. With barely 30 minutes or so given to students for lunch, most food is gobbled down, causing more than a few upset stomachs.
Along this line of thinking, I came across an interesting article by Bernarr Macfarland and his Encyclopedia of Physical Culture. The article speaks to our habit of eating to “keep up our strength”. Our body doesn’t necessarily ask to be fed 3 meals a day; we just do it out of habit.
Macfarland suggests that few people are really able to eat three hearty meals each day without injuring their stomach. “It is not what we eat,” says Macfarland, “but what we digest that nourishes us, and when food is not digested, every additional particle taken into the stomach is a direct injury and a sure inciter to disease”.
"A significant portion of all the body's illnesses start in the intestinal tract. We abuse it in so many ways - overeating, not chewing adequately, rushing through meals, not being grateful for what we have, being stressed”.
He lists some basic rules that we should all remember. It may be a good idea to share them with our children as well.
1. Eat only when hungry
2. Stop eating when you are no longer hungry
3. Chew your food until it is liquid
4. Savor each bite
5. Relax and be cheerful during the meal
6. Focus on eating
Good luck!
